


i forgot that you existed

by imposterhuman



Series: lover [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Crafty Steve Rogers, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Friends to Enemies, Little bit of Fluff, M/M, Steve Angst, Steve Feels, Steve Needs a Hug, Tony Angst, Tony Needs a Hug, Well - Freeform, steve pulls a cady heron, they do both, they will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 04:37:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20901749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: Tony started pulling away from Steve on the day that Steve made the football team. Tony clearly thought Steve was too dumb to notice, and Steve might not have been a genius like Tony, but he was no slouch, either. He knew every one of Tony’s tells like he knew his own, knew that the blander inflection with a hint of acid meant that Tony was lying through his teeth to push Steve away. He just didn’t knowwhy.





	i forgot that you existed

**Author's Note:**

> this happens at the same time as the end of "it's nice to have a friend" and its steves pov of that time
> 
> enjoy!

Tony started pulling away from Steve on the day that Steve made the football team. Tony clearly thought Steve was too dumb to notice, and Steve might not have been a genius like Tony, but he was no slouch, either. He knew every one of Tony’s tells like he knew his own, knew that the blander inflection with a hint of acid meant that Tony was lying through his teeth to push Steve away. He just didn’t know _ why _.

Steve and Tony had been best friends for years, since Howard and Maria Stark moved across the street from the Rogers pair, bringing their kid with them. Steve had claimed Tony as his best friend that very day, dragging him home to meet his Ma and declaring it to the whole neighborhood.

When Maria died in a car crash, Steve was the one who held a sobbing Tony. When Howard kicked him out the first time, Steve was the one who took Tony home until his father let him come back. Throughout everything, good and bad, Steve and Tony were inseparable.

Until the _ stupid _high school football team. 

Suddenly, Tony was avoiding him in the halls and ignoring his texts. He had gotten something in his head, clearly, and Steve didn’t know how to fix it. He just wanted his friend back.

But Tony said he had to study instead of getting their weekly milkshake at the diner down the road, even though he’d never studied for school a day in his life. Then he had too much homework to come over for family dinner, and he was just too busy on the weekend to hang out at the park. After a few weeks of that, Steve got the message.

(He was pretty sure he’d figured out why Tony was pulling away, though. His feelings for his best friend had morphed into something less than platonic in the last year, and Tony was probably freaked out by it. After tryouts for the football team, where Steve had done well to Tony’s cheers from the bleachers, Steve had hugged Tony for a little too long, held on a little too tight. Tony, genius that he was, must have figured out Steve’s crush and was weirded out by it.)

He was losing Tony bit by bit, and he had no idea what to do.

\---

In a bitter screaming match that ended with Tony storming off into the street, their friendship ended. Steve still clung onto the hope that Tony would come back and let his window cracked open until it got too cold for it. When the first snow came, he was forced to accept that it was over for real.

He dealt with it the way he dealt with most of his unsolvable problems: stubborn avoidance.

Steve didn’t talk about Tony, didn’t even think about Tony. After freshman year, they didn’t even have any classes together, and Tony had completely dropped their friend group. Steve saw him in the halls sometimes, with a leather jacket and tousled hair and his signature smirk. He didn’t look happy, per se, but he didn’t look miserable.

His happiness wasn’t Steve’s responsibility, Steve reminded himself harshly when thoughts of his old friend floated across his mind. 

Steve had new friends now, and a wonderful cheerleader girlfriend who he thought he could grow to love. Peggy came to all of his games, kissed him at halftime, and held hands with him in the hallway. She was perfect, and any lingering feelings Steve had for Tony were all gone.

Life was peaceful, quiet, without Tony’s antics. Their small town wasn’t exactly known for its excitement. Steve was finally able to go a week without rocks being thrown at his window by a hyperactive neighbor, or being dragged out after school to explore the abandoned buildings on the other side of town, or any disturbance of any kind. His mother stopped asking him about Tony, too. 

He didn’t search the bleachers for his best friend, listen for Tony’s name after his during attendance, or catch himself making two cups of coffee in the morning. It was like he had forgotten Tony existed. 

And he was fine with it. Really.

\---

Junior year, Steve made team captain of the varsity football team. Peggy rewarded him with a kiss in front of the cheering school at the homecoming game and he told her he loved her for the first time. She even said it back.

Life couldn’t be better. 

(Except, they fought too much for any normal couple. They clashed in the worst ways, in battles of feelings where no one was right or wrong. They always made up, but they were a little less for it every time. Steve loved Peggy, and Peggy loved Steve, but they didn’t always _ like _each other. He ignored the voice in his head that sounded like an old friend, telling him that it was a bad idea to stay with her. He didn’t listen to that friend anymore.

They were fine. If he repeated it enough, Steve thought he could believe it.)

\---

Peggy broke up with Steve at the start of senior year. Their relationship had been on the decline for months, but Peggy had taken the last step to end it. Strangely enough, Steve wasn’t that upset. They were better as friends, anyway. Star quarterback and head cheerleader was a relationship that only worked in movies.

News of their breakup spread like wildfire. The rumor mill at Shield High was efficient that way. For weeks, he was inundated with questions from curious friends, from nosy underclassmen, even from a teacher or two.

Not to mention, he had caught Tony looking at him. Only once, and only for a second, but they had locked eyes across the hallway and Steve remembered everything he had spent years trying to forget.

Years of friendship, of love, was contained in the half-second stare before Tony wrenched his eyes away and disappeared. Steve was left missing him all over again.

Maybe he wasn’t quite as over Tony as he’d thought.

\---

There was an error with Steve’s schedule. He thought he’d finished all of his math requirements, but apparently, he still needed one more year of credits to graduate. He was shoved into the first math class with an open desk, several days into the start of the year.

It was just his luck that he ended up in Tony’s class, but he was convinced the universe was out to get him when the teacher sat him right next to the other boy.

Tony visibly recoiled when Steve sat down at their shared table. Steve tried not to take it to heart, but it still hurt. Years of friendship, and for what? For Tony to resolutely stare in the opposite direction for the whole period, not even bothering to pretend to pay attention to the teacher? Steve didn’t know what to do.

Especially when he saw Tony sneaking glances at him when he thought he didn’t notice. And how Tony would lean in just a little bit with a conspiratorial smirk just like he used to when he had somethign snarky to share, only to pull away with a jolt. 

Clearly, Steve wasn’t the only one missing what they used to have. But he knew Tony wasn’t going to do anything about it, so he took the initiative.

Steve wasn’t bad at math, not really. But he might’ve flubbed a few problems on the first quiz on purpose.

Tony wasn’t the kind of person who would let his deskmate fail math, even if they were in the weird after-friendship stage that made every interaction awkward. He just wasn’t that kind of person. Sure enough, Tony offered to tutor Steve after they got their papers back.

“I can help you,” Tony offered. His voice was perfectly even, but he was tapping his fingers with nerves. “I can tutor you, I mean. In math. Um-”

“Okay, Tony. Does today work?” Steve couldn’t keep the grin off of his face. Talking to Tony again was intoxicating in all the best ways, and he wished the conversation would last forever. “I have practice for an hour, but I’m free after that.”

“Sounds good,” said Tony, nodding sharply. “I’ll meet you at the library. Bring your textbook.”

“See you then, Tones,” the use of the nickname was an old habit, but it was already out there and Steve couldn’t take it back. The flush that grew on Tony’s cheeks didn’t look like anger, though, so Steve didn’t regret it.

“Yeah,” Tony confirmed with a shy smile, the one that had been missing from Steve’s life for years. “See you then.”

The D- on his quiz was a small price to pay to see it again. 

**Author's Note:**

> what do you guys wanna see next? college era established relationship fluff, or awkward babies learn to love in hs? i have pretty much every song planned out (except one or two that i dont know if i can use at all), but i want to hear what you wanna read! 
> 
> comments and kudos make my day!!
> 
> yell at me on tumblr [@imposter-human](https://imposter-human.tumblr.com/)


End file.
